steward



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. F. DIAL, A. STBWARD & G. H. DIMOND. SEWING MACHINE.

No. 405,205. patented June 11.1889.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.'

W. I'. DIAL, A. STEWAB.D 8u G. I-I. DIIVIOND.

SEWING MACHINE.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. I'. DIAL, A. STEWARD &- H. DIMOND.l SEWING MACHINE.

No. 405,205. Patented June 11,1889.

4 Sheets-Sheet 44:.

(No Model.)

W. R'DIAL, A. STBWARD su G. H. DIMOND.

SEWING MACHINE.

Patented-June 1.1, 1389.`

.Ewerzvra 6055600727.

UNITED STATES PATENT l OFFICE.

WILBUR F. DIAL, AURELIUS STEVVARD, AND GEORGE H. DIMONI), OF

BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE IVI-IEELER da IVIL- SON MANUFACTURING- COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,205, dated J' une 11, 1889. Application led March 9, 1887. Serial No. 230,170. (No model.)

AUEELIUs STEWAED, and GEORGE I-I. DI-

MOND, of Bridgeport, county of Fairfielch.

State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Sewing-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.'

This invention has for its object to improve that class of machine represented in United States Patent No. 328,165, in order that greater speed may be attained with less shock, and consequently less wear.

The machine herein shown as embodying our invention has in the over-hanging arm a rotary needle-bar--actuating shaft provided with integral quartering-cranks, the said quartering-cranks being joined by connecting-rods to two other quartering-cranks forming integral parts of a shaft parallel to the needle-bar-actuating shaft, but located below the bed-plate, the forward end of the shaft below the bed-plate, through a variable-motion mechanism of usual construction, rotating an auxiliary short shaft parallel thereto, said short shaft having a cradle or driver to rotate the hook or loop-taker employed to engage, distend, and pass the loop of needlethread about a bobbin carrying the under thread; and to compensate for wear between the wrists of the cranks and the connectingrods joining them we have mounted one end of one of the crank-shafts in a vertically-adjustable bearing, the shaft so mounted being herein shown as the under shaft, it being made adjustable toward the needle-bar-operating shaft to compensate for the shortening of the connecting-rods due to refacing the caps, which embrace one-half of each wrist. The hook or loop-taker employed is moved at a differential or variable speed during each rotation to thus enable the rotating hook or loop-taker actuated by the crank-shaft below the bed-plate to be rotated at greatly-increased speed from the time of taking the loop of needle-thread until it is cast off, this being done while the take-up is descending,

the latter rising immediately as the loop is 5o being cast off and completing its ascent and the stitch before the needle in the next descent reaches the goods.

In United States Patent No. 328,165, referred to, and in the Patent No. 331,174 the feeddriving shaft was operated by a rock-shaft having aslotted segmental arm, the said rock-' shaft being moved by means of a face-cam which receives in it a roller-stud mounted on an arm of the said rock-shaft; but such con- 6o struction has been found objectionable in a very high speed machine because of rapid wear and noise. In a very high speed machine the rockshaft carrying the segmental arm referred to, when effecting the feeding movement of the feed-bar, must be moved positively and during a certain definite portion of each rotation of the needle-bar-actuating shaft; but to do this unerringly within the specified time and 7o with that class of cam known as triangular, it being preferred because of its lightness and durability, we have been obliged to so locate the centers of the said cam and the said rock-shaft that the actuating-point of the said cam when effecting the feeding movement of the feed-bar strikes one toe of a forked arm of the said rock-shaft at a point nearer the center of the said shaft than when the actuating-point of the said cam strikes the 8o said forked arm to effect the backward movement of the feeding-bar.

The take-up lever has imparted to it a movement sufficient for the maximum thickness of material to be stitched, and hence it will be obvious that when the material is of less than maximum thickness there will be an excess of needle-thread to be taken care of otherwise the needle-thread will fall and be caught under the point of the needle. To 9c, obviate this difficulty the needle-thread, at a point between the eye of the needlevand the usual tension device, is carried through a yielding or springing arm, the normal position of which is made variable through the presser-foot and presser-bar and intermedi-- ate devices, so that any excess of slack thread is compensated for, as will be described.

In this our invention the take-up lever will be operated positively and uniformly as to distance notwithstanding variations in the thickness of the material; but the slack-controlling spring-arm will, as stated, be moved variably, according to the thickness of the 1naterial. Operating the take-up positively in both directions enables the machine to be run at a much greater' rate of speed, and without liability of overthrow, than is possible in a machine where the take-up is operated in but one direction positively, as in United States Patent No. 124,360. )Ve have coinbined with the presser-bar mechanism for automatically controlling the slack thread, which, as the presserbar is lifted by variation in thickness of material under the presser-foot, gives up the requisite amount of thread.

The particular features in which our invention consists will be hereinafter fully described, and specified in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure l in side elevation represents a sufi'icientportion of a sewing-machine embodying our invention to enable the same to be understood, the :frame-work bcingbroken out to better show some of the working parts. Fig. 1 shows the take-up lever detached. Fig. 1) is a partial section to the right of the dotted line y, Fig. l. Fig. lc shows detached the bearing` for the shaft C". Fig. 2 is an under side view of Fig. 1.. Fig. 3 is a partial section of Fig. 2 at the leftof the dotted line u a'. Fig. at is a sectional detail of the tension device and devices co-operating with it to automatically control the slack of the needle-thread; Fig. 5, details of the devices intermediate the presser-bar and the tension device; Fig. 5, a diagram representing portions of the devices shown in Fig. 3, but in different positions. Fig. (i is a front or lefthand end elevation of Fig. 1, the cap for retaining the looptaker guide being broken out to show the plugs, all but a small portion of the loop-taker being omitted, as well as the usual bobbin and bobbilrholder and most of the saddle C. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of part of the loop-taker guide, its cap, and one of the screws at and spring 5; Fig. 7,'a detail showing part of Fig. U with the faceplate removed; Fig. 8, a top view of the front end of the machine to show the faceplate and parts co-operating with it. Fig. 9 is a section of Fig. 2 in the line fr, looking' to the left, but with the machine right side up Fig. 1.0, a detail of the short shaft Bi and saddle to move the loop-takcr. Fig. 1l shows the looptaker alone. Fig. 12 shows the bobbin for the loop-taker, the bobbin-case being broken out. Fig. 1.3 shows separately the arm or detainer for the bobbin-case. Fig. la is a diagram showing the upper and lower crankshafts removed from the machine, the dotted lines showing the connecting-rods between them. Fig. 1 5 is a view of the said shafts, looking at them in the direction of the arrow 'integral part of the shaft.

14 or from the rear end of the machine; and Fig. 1G is a top or plan'view of Fig. 14.

The frame-work, including the bed-plate A, standard A', and overhanging arm A2 is and may be as usual. The overhanging arm vhas suitable bearings for the rotating needlebar-actuating shaft B, having two cranks b2 3 set quartering and preferably forged as an The wrists of the two cranks'b2 b3 are connected, respectively, by connecting-rods b4 h5 to the wrists of two similar quartering-cranks c2 c3, preferably forged as integral parts of the shaft CX,lo cated below the bed A and parallel tothe shaft B, by which shaft the shaft C is rotated continuously in one direction. As the parts of the connectingrods which embrace the wrists of the cranks referred to become worn in the use of the machine, the caps 2, co-operatin g with t-he said rods and wrists, will. be removed and be faced off, thus shortening somewhat the connecting-rods; so, to compensate for such shortening, we have made the bearing C for the shaft (J adjustable, the said shaft being attached to a portion of the bed by two screws, as C2 C3. (See Fig. 2.) The shaft QX at its front end is provided with a disk or wheel B3, havin ga crank-pin embraced by a link B4, the opposite end of which embraces a pin of a crank B5 on a short horizontal shaft B, having attached to it a saddle C, (see Fig. 10,) the said disk, link, crank, shaft, and saddle being the same as in United States Patent No. 328,165, wherein the said devices are designated by like letters, the said saddle in operation rotating a loop-taker G, substantially such as represented in the said patent by like letter, but not herein fully shown, except in Fig. 11, to save complication in the drawings, the said loop-taker being arranged to be rotated in a loop-taker guide D the loop-taker entering the loop of thread thrown out from the eye of the eye-pointed needle A, attached to a needle-bar A,al1 as in the said Patent No. 328,105. This looptaker guide is provided with a circular recess, the surrounding flange of which (see Figs. l, 2, and G) has numerous small radial holes which receive in them antifriction plugs e, preferably of rawhide, the said plugs being inserted through the said holes, so as to present their ends for contact with the periphery of the loop-taker, the said plugs being fitted snugly in the holes, so as to prevent them from being exposed to atmospheric changes except at their extremities, the employment of the rawhide as small plugs enabling any part of the wearing-surface formed by them to be adjusted or renewed readily.

Th e loop-taker is retained in the open space of the looptaker guide by means of a rigid cap n, which is secured to the said guide by screws l il, the said screws being surrounded between the under sides of their heads and the outer face of the rigid cap by spiral springs 5, (see Fig. 2,) which. enable the cap IOO IIO

rock-shaft f7.

to be moved outwardly bodily away from the front of the loop -taker guide should the thread, for any reason, be caught within the said guide.

It will be noticed that the two screws 1i, holding the rigid cap n, are located substantially in a horizontal line drawn through the center of rotation of the loop-taker, thereby leaving the said cap n, pressed against the loop-taker guide by a force due to the springs 5, free to yield or move bodily away from the loop-taker guide at any part thereof.

Ve will now describe the mechanism for operating the feed-bar f.

The feed-barfis jointed at one end to an arm f (see dotted lines, Fig. 6) of a feed-- driving rock-shaft f2, a second arm f3 of the said rock-shaft havingjointed to it a-radiusbar f4, having a stud, upon which is mounted loosely a block f5, which enters a slot or channel in a segmental portion fG of a rockshaft f7, mounted to turn in bearings f8 of the frame, the said rock-shaft f7 having a forked arm provided with two toes f10 f 12, which are extended in the same direction to embrace a cam f13 on the shaft CX, the said cam moving the said rock-shaft f7 and its segmental portion positively in both directions, rocking the shaft f2 more or less, according to the position of the block f5 in the groove of the segmental portion f, the said block being made'adjustable therein toward and from the center of the shaft fT by means of a stitch-regulatin g lever f 15, (see Fig. 6,) attached to the outer end of a short rock-shaft fw, (see Fig. 3,) having at its inner end an arm f1?, which, by a link, fis, is connected to the radius-bar f4, the farther the block f 5 from the center of the shaft flthe longer the stitch, and vice versa.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, we have designated by the numeral 6 the actuating point of the cam fls; and in Fig. 5, where the cam is shown by full lines as just commencing to effect the forward movement of the feed-bar and by dotted lines as just commencing to effect the backward movement thereof, it will be seen that, owing to the portion fw, acted upon by the cam j' 13, being nearer the center of the rock-shaft f7 than is the portion f 12, the actuating-point 6 of the said cam f13 will strike the portion flo of the forked arm of the rockshaft f7, as the forward movement of the feed is to take place closer to the center of the said shaft f7 than when the said point 6 meets the forked arm f12 (see dotted lines) to effect the backward movement of the feed-bar.

It is well known that a triangular cam operatin g on a bifurcated lever and in the direction herein shown will cause the movement of the lever to be quicker when the cam acts upon the upper arm of the fork than when it acts upon the lower arm, this difference of movement being due to the relative positions of the two arms with regard to the center of the As a result the said rock-shaft is turned about its center at a greater speed shaft g', having an arm g2, forked at its inner end (see detail, Fig. 9) to embrace a lt'riangular cam g3, forming part of the disk D3. The hub of the arm g2 is split, as best shown in Fig. 9, and the two parts of the hub so formed are entered by a clamp-screwgl, which passes freely through the main body of the hub and screws into the part g5. This clamp-screw enables the arm to be adjusted on the shaft g to vary the point of ascent and descent of the teeth of the feed-bar. The arm g at its inner end carries a roll ge, which (see Figs. 2 and 6) enters a groove cut into the feed-bar f at its under side, the said roll g6 serving as a guide for that end of the feed-bar farthest from the operator and preventing lateral movement thereof. A spring g7 holds the free end of the feed-bar down upon the roller g.

The needle -bar-actuating shaft B at its front end (see Fig. 7) has a disk h, provided with a crank-pin 71,', upon which is placed one end of a link h2, the opposite end of the link embracing'a stud on a block h3, attached to the needle-bar A4 in usual manner.

The disk h at its periphery (see Fig. l) is provided with a cam-groove m, which receives a roller or other stud m', attached to the takeup lever m10, which is of bell-crank shape. This take-up lever is mounted upon a f ulcrumsleeve m2, having a head and a hollow threaded shank, the latter entering a hole in the takeup lever from its inner side, (see Figs. lb and 7,) the end of the said shank abutting against the flat inner end of a hub m3, located at the inner side of the overhanging arm, where it is held by means of a set-screw m4, the head of which is exposed at the outer side of the overhanging arm, rotation of the said screw enabling the end of the shank of the fulcrumsleeve to be drawn firmly against the inner end of the hub m3, and the shank of the fulcrum-sleeve m2 being longer than the takeup lever is thick, the latter is left free to be moved on the said sleeve without binding, yet all lateral play of the take-up lever is overcome.

By referring to Figs. l, 6, and 7 it will be noticed that the overhanging arm at its front end nearest the operator is bulged outwardly at the front side to form a support for the setscrew m4 and the fulcrum-sleeve of the takeup lever, so that the periphery of the disk h is readily made available to actuate the takeup lever, the said projecting portion also concealing from the view of the operator the greater portion of the take-up lever, and also lessening the liability of oil being thrown by the disk in its rotation.

In Fig. l the bulged portion of the armhas been broken away to show the take-up within it, and in the said figure the head of the set* screw m4 is cut off.

ICO

IIO

rlhe take-up arm just within the face-plate p is provided with a small disk or projection, as m7, which at its rear side is concaved or made eup-shaped to thus prevent the outward movement of oil along the` take-up arm to soil or come in contact with thread in the eye 10 of the take-up lever.

The faceplate p has a slotted projection p', which, besides covering the end of the enlarged portion mr of the overhanging arm, receives through it the take-up lever. rPhe face-plate p, of concave-convex form, (see Fig. 8,) embraces the shouldered portions m30 mf" of the bearings for the presser and needle bars to thus prevent lateral movement of the face-plate. XVe have provided the face-plate with an elongated slot, as nl, the longer end of which is of greater diameter than the head of the set-screw a8, screwed into the hole n, so that t-he said face-plate may be readily passed over the said screw in position and t-hen be pushed downward until the smaller or slotted end of the said opening nl embraces the shank of the screw, and when brought down to the proper position the said set-screw is tightened to conne the face-plate in place. In this way to remove the faceplate requires the loosening of but a single screw. The face-plate has a hub n?, through which is passed a stud n10. (See Fig. 4t.) This stud within the hub n is surrounded by a spiral spring am, one end of which is iixed with relation to the stud, while the opposite or free end of the spring is extended, as at 10, out- 4wardly through a notch at the end of the hub n", the extreme outer end of the said spring being thereafter bent to form an eye to receive and guide the needle-thread between the usual tension device or pulley nl* and the take-up lever mw, the normal position of the free end of the tln'ead-controlling spring being against a shoulder, as I2, of a stop I5 for the thread-controlling spring', the said stop being under the control of and made movable through the movement of an arm nl of a segmental gear w20, to be described, the said stop being herein shown as a piece of metal made movable about the end of the hub n. The stop is of such shape as to afford ample free space above the shoulder 12, in which may move the said controller- Y spring when drawn upon by the thread acted upon by the take-up, this space being herein shown as between the shoulders 12 and 1G; but in practice the shoulder 16 has no funetion as to the control of the thread. Next, outside the stop 15 the stud n10 has fast to it a collar 17, which, co-operating with the end of the hub n, serves as a guide for said stop. The outer side of the collar I7 receives against it the usual felt washer 80, and next to it the tension device or pulley n, acted upon in usual manner by the spring 19, controlled by a nut 2O on the screw-threaded outer end of the stud n10. The stud nw at its inner end is tapped for t-he reception of a binding-screw al, (see Fig. 4,) which by its head retains on the inner side of the faceplate l). The gear 9121 is notched, as at 25, to .receive the pin 26, which serves to attach the collar 27 to the presser-bar I-I, so that as the presser-bar is lifted by material under the presser-foot H2 the gears am and n2() are partially rotated to turn the stop l5 about the stud n10 in a direction to enable it to give up slack thread to the needle or to furnish the necessary amount of thread for the stitch. In this way the thick- Y ness of the material is made effective through the presser-foot and its bar to automatically vary the amount of slack thread given to the needle, the thicker the material the greater the amount of slack thread given up for the formation of the stitch, and vice versa.

Ve do not herein claim, broadly, two rotating' shafts, one above and the other below the bed-plate, when the same are connected together by toothed gears or when connected by links.

IVe have herein shown the shafts CX and B connected by a variable-motion device such as common to United States IatentNo. 328,165; but instead thereof we desire it to be under stood that we might employ any other equivalent well-known devices capable of operating in like manner.

In Fig. 1l we have shown the loop-taker separately, and in Fig. 12 the bobbin U20 and its case Z122, the said ease in practice being restrained from rotation within the loop-taker by a holding-arm t, held in place by a suita ble latch, as t', as in the said patent. The tension device for the under thread is marked U2.

Te claiml. The needle-bar to carry a needle, the rotating shaft B, provided with quarteringcranks, the rotating shaft GX, located below the bed-plate parallel to the shaft B, an adjustable bearing to enable the centers of the said shafts to be varied with relation to each other, and two connecting-rods embracing the wrists of the said cranks, whereby the shaft E imparts rotation to the shaft CX, combined with a rotating loop-taker, a short shaft I3, and means, substantially as described, to rotate the shaft B from the shaft CX, but at a different speed, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The feed-bar, the rock-shaft f2, to move it forward and backward positively, and the rotating shaft CX, and its attached cam f, combined with the rock-shaft f7, having the segmental arm f6 and the forked arm provided with toes to embrace the said cam, and with the arm f3 and radius-barf4 and stud to engage the said segmental arm, the center of IOO IIO

rotation of the said rock-shaft and the shaft C being in different planes, whereby the said cam is enabled to move the rock-shaft fT at a speed faster While the feed-bar is moving the material forward than when the said feed-bar is moving backward under the said material, substantially as described.

3. The feed-bar, the rock-shaft g', having an arm to support the free end of the feedbar, and the forked arIn g2, having a slotted hub, and clamping-screw g4, to clamp the said arm adjustably to the said rock-shaft, combined With the shaft C and cam thereon to raise the said feed-bar, the adjustment of the arm g2 on the rock-shaft g enabling the feedpoints of the feed-bar to be raised more or less above the throat-plate, substantially as described. p

4. The bed-plate, the face-plate, the stud n10, the presser-foot, the presser-bar, the slackzo thread-controlling spring, and the pin or projection 26, made movable vertically with the presser-bar, combined With the notch-gear m21, the segmental gear 'm20 engaged by it, the arm nl, and stop for the lcontrollingspring, the position of the said stop being changed by the position of the presser-foot resti-ng upon the stock under it and the takeup, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We llave signed our` 3o names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILBUR F. DIAL. AURELIUS STEWARD. GEORGE H. DIMOND.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. NEELY, A. R. LACEY. 

